All the Pretty Faces
by pottersweetie
Summary: She was living in a shadow of fear. He had gotten away... This had all been months ago and he hadn't returned. The thought tormented her nonetheless.... He was angry with her.
1. Prologue

All the Pretty Faces  
By: pottersweetie

Author's Note: This is my first _Red Eye_ fan fiction, so if it's a bit shaky you know why, hope you like it! Enjoy, Read, Review!

Prologue

She was living in the shadows of fear. He had gotten away. The police were right outside, getting ready to handcuff him and take him away. Another office stood talking with Lisa and her father, asking them every detail of what had happened. The paramedics were there as well, prepared for any injury thrown their way. The police had intended on getting him cleaned up and tended to and then taken to the station for questioning and so on. But he had gotten away.

They rushed him to the hospital in the ambulance with a hole in his throat and a two bullet wounds. They had taken care of him and he stayed in the hospital as long as they had forced upon him, by then the police had come into his room several times.

"You're facing a lifetime in prison, you know that right?" one of the officers had said.

"And we're going to catch you're little friends too," the other policemen said.

He had looked at the both of them and laughed, he was working for better people. When he was fully recovered the police were waiting outside his room to take him away. The young nurse was helping him get dressed since he still had difficulty moving around too much. Lisa hadn't come in to see if he was okay, neither did her father. He didn't expect anyone to come in and see him, it would be too risky for any of his associates to come in to visit when there were several cops just outside.

He waited until he was finally into his jacket when he ran from the room, the officers outside were resting against the wall and didn't realize he was out until it was too late. He was down the hall and down seven flights of stairs in a matter of minutes, out the front door before anyone could catch him and then into the car of a man who was helping an elderly woman out of the passenger's side. The key was still in the ignition and he sped down the road before the policemen could even get into the patrol car.

They had a crime watch all over the surrounding neighborhoods and they had warned the Reiserts immediately. They assured the frightened family that they were chasing the criminal at any chance.

The stolen car was found five blocks away from the hospital the next day, no trace of the man who had taken it.

He was gone, he had slipped away, and Lisa was terrified, not only for herself but for her father, Charles Keefe and his entire family. She felt sick when she had first heard about Jackson's escape, would he come after her again? Would he try to seek revenge?

Lisa refused to let it drive her crazy. Did she want to go into the Witness Protection Program? No, she would go on with her life. Of course she could hardly go anywhere alone, but she didn't mind so much. She couldn't let this change her life completely, she had beaten the odds before, she refused to be his prey again.

This had all been months ago, he hadn't returned, hadn't shown up at all. So Lisa was feeling more relaxed, her boyfriend of several months was keeping her feeling safe and grounded as well.

But the thought tormented her nonetheless.

Jackson Rippner was on the loose, and he was angry with her.


	2. False Identity

Chapter One  
False Identity

The phone rang.

It was loud and irritating, but it rang all the same. The house had been silent, aside from the quiet turning of the magazine pages she was looking through. She had jumped slightly at the sound of the phone but shook her head and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Leese!" her father's voice sounded in her ear.

"Hey Dad," she replied. "Where are you?" she asked, picking a tiny carrot up from the bowl in front of her.

"Still golfing with the boys," he laughed. "I'll be home soon though."

She nodded to herself, "Okay."

"When are you going to work?" he asked.

She checked her wristwatch, "Right about now."

"All right, call me when you get there."

"Okay Dad," she replied. "Bye."  


He wasn't really in hiding.

He had taken the chance and decided to live in Miami. No one was going to find him anyway.

He did know he had to change his appearance though, people were still looking for him. He got his hair cut, died it a darker brown, let the stubble on his face remain there, built up his muscles more, no one could recognize him.

He was Guy Brandon now, but he worked for the same people, still after the same mission. Except his employers were upset with him, he had got beaten by a woman, he had let her win him over and now he had to pay the consequences. He had to find her and carry out what was supposed to happen on the redeye flight. He had to get rid of Charles Keefe and Lisa Reisert.

He knew for a fact that she still worked at the LUX Atlantic as manager and he was taking his time with capturing her. Nothing could go wrong this time or it was _his_ head on the table.

Despite his responsibilities and plans he had to carry out, Jackson allowed himself to form something of a social life. He had friends that he worked with and friends who had no idea he was really Jackson Rippner, wanted criminal. He went to parties when he wasn't plotting revenge on Miss Reisert, and it was at one of these parties that he met Audree Thomas.

Audree was a classy woman with a great sense of humor. She had golden hair that fell just past her shoulder and unique, violet eyes. She was shorter than Jackson with a petite figure. She was born into a rich family in London, England and was raised there until she decided to move to Miami. Jackson and Audree had met at a birthday party for one of Jackson's friends that didn't know he was out to get political figures. He happened to sit next to Audree at dinner and he was completely taken by her. The way she smiled politely at everyone and laughed with a big smile.

He had been dating her for several months and she still didn't know what his real career was, she thought he worked in the CIA or something of the sort and he would tell her when he had permission from his employers or however it worked.

She was very wrong.  
  
**Author's Note:** I know it was short but it's really like another introduction. Thanks for the reviews! I love 'em! Next chapter is coming soon.


	3. Solid Apparitions

**Chapter Two  
Solid Apparitions**

She shut her cell phone as she made her way into the building, she had informed her father of her safe trip to the hotel and was mentally preparing herself for another difficult day of clients fussing and whining. 

"Lisa," Cynthia called, her heels clapping against the tiles as she hurried over. "Mr. Barnathan is here early! I put him in his suite and sent up a bottle of champagne but he wants to see you right away!"

"What!" she asked. "He's here early!"

Cynthia nodded, "And I already have a list of people to be interviewed tomorrow afternoon for the front desk slot."

Lisa nodded, hurrying toward the elevator, "You put Barnathan in his usual suite right?"

"Right."

"Okay, then I'll go see him."

Cynthia followed her to the elevator, "D'you want me to come with you?"

Lisa laughed, "I think I can handle it... But I do need to talk to you about the front desk slot, so I'll be down soon."

She nodded in response.

Lisa stepped into the elevator and Cynthia slipped into the one beside it, hoping she could beat her friend to their destination.

Lisa watched as the elevator doors closed, she hated elevators, but there was no way she was going to take the stairs. She thought about several things as the elevator made its way to Mr. Barnathan's suite. She thought about what she would do if the elevator stopped on a certain floor and Jackson Rippner walked in, cornering her in the small space. She shook it off. He wouldn't be that stupid. She also thought about the work she would have to do throughout the day.

She let out a shaky sigh, tomorrow she would have to interview many people for the place at the front desk. Someone friendly, someone who couldn't be pushed around but could also be polite and sweet. She bit her lip, where could she find someone like that?

Finally the elevator stopped and the doors opened swiftly. She walked down the hall a ways and then knocked on a sturdy wooden door.

A gruff, 'Come in!' responded to this and she opened the door, expecting to see the large, graying Mr. Henry Barnathan; the reknowned, but pushy, opera singer. Instead, Lisa was greeted with about thirty people shouting 'Surprise!'

At first she stood in the open doorway, her eyes wide and her brain working furiously. Was she in the wrong suite? No, she knew these people. There was Cynthia and her boyfriend, Nathan, and her other friends, her father, and a few coworkers. There was no sign of Henry Barnathan.

She closed the door and walked further into the room, everything was decorated with streamers and balloons and there was food and drinks laid out for everyone.

"Surprise? What's the surprise for?" she asked.

Nathan laughed incredulously, "Your birthday?"

"M-My birthday?" Lisa echoed, then she thought for a minute, "Oh my- It is my birthday!"

Cynthia laughed, "We knew you'd forget."

"But who- How?" she stammered.

Nathan walked across the room and put his arm around her, "It wasn't that hard, after all, you've been working yourself ragged for about a year!"

Lisa tried to smile but it came out slightly fake. The truth was, she had been working so hard to distract herself and to keep herself surrounded by a lot of people, the events from the redeye flight were still fresh in her mind.

"So let's have a party, huh?" Cynthia shouted and everyone cheered.

"But who's going to take care of everything?" Lisa asked.

Cynthia smiled, "Don't worry, George is taking care of it all. Everyone thinks you deserve a break so this afternoon is just fun, that is, until two o'clock anyway."

Lisa smiled, "All right, but only until two!"

And the room burst with applause.  
  
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Jackson walked into the coffee shop and straight to the counter. The girl behind the cash register was snapping gum between her teeth and her blonde hair was twisted into two knots atop her head.

"Good afternoon sir, how may I help you?" she asked automatically.

He looked at the overhead menu, "Just a black coffee."

"For here or to go?" she questioned.

He looked around, Anthony wasn't even there yet, "Here."

"Great, I'll bring it to your table in a minute."

He nodded and walked to a small table in the front of the shop that sat beside the window. He squinted as the sun shone through the window and into his crystalline eyes. Within minutes, the girl brought him his coffee and walked away. He gulped the liquid, wincing as it scalded his already injured throat.

The bell above the door sounded and he saw Anthony walk in, he went to the counter, ordered, then walked to where Jackson sat.

"Listen jackass," the older, burly man began instantly, "The Smiths are not happy," he said, using their code.

"I know-"

"No," he barked, "You don't know! Jack, you screwed up."

"You don't let me forget it Anthony."

"Great, but you need to work faster. You're lucky they even allowed you to go back on this assignment, they could have told you take a hike."

The girl brought him his frothy drink and disappeared abruptly.

"You've been following this bitch and Keefe is still standing. You have to get rid of them both or your ass is grass."

Jackson smirked.

"I wouldn't laugh idiot," he warned. "You have a double whammy here and if you don't finish this Liza weirdo and Charles Keefe than you're finished."

"Lisa," Jackson corrected him as he gulped his drink.

The man laughed, "Like I give a damn."

Jackson watched the man coldly as he finished his iced coffee.

Once he had gulped its contents he put the cup on the table and took out his wallet, fishing out a ten dollar bill.

"All I'm saying is that you're a good kid, but if you mess this one up... They ain't gonna be happy."

He slammed the money on the table and stood up, "Time's running out, Jackie," he grinned and walked away.

Jackson left his drink on the table and walked out the opposite door, he didn't need to pay, the moron had paid for both of them. He walked through the nearby park and sat on a bench to think. Anthony had arranged a meeting just to tell him he had to hurry up? He figured that it was true after all.

He had to be very careful this time, he wasn't just tricking one person and taking out the other, he had to finish both of them off without getting caught. He was scared, but not enough to let anyone know. He was scared of going to jail, he was scared of being taken away from the one person who meant something to him, he was scared like hell of not finishing this assignment properly.

Jackson's mind drifted to and fro. What would happen if Audree knew about his life as criminal? What if she knew what he was trying to do? If she found out that he was the wanted Jackson Rippner? If she figured out that he had been lying to her for months? He shook it off, decided to forget about the very thought. It could never happen, it would never happen.  
  
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"I'll pick you up tonight at six okay?' Nathan asked, holding Lisa around the waist.

She nodded, "Okay."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she replied, kissing him gently before dismissing herself for more work with Cynthia.

They stood in the elevator, trying to recover from their fun at the party.

Lisa sighed, "Okay, who's coming tomorrow?"

Cynthia pulled out a folder and scanned the list of names, "It's really a bunch of people that were recomended or involved with the hotel circuit."

Lisa nodded.

"How long will you be meeting with them?" Cynthia asked, grabbing the pen that was clipped to the front of the folder.

"About twenty minutes," Lisa replied.

Cynthia scribbled it down on a piece of paper and nodded.

As Lisa walked out of the elevator with Cynthia, preparing herself for another tireless day of work she looked up and out of the revolving door at the front of the LUX Atlantic. It was then she thought she saw him, Jackson, staring through the glass at her and then hurrying away as quick as he could.

**Author's Note:** Oh snap! Haha. Hope you liked chapter two! Please review... Oh wow that rhymed... Thanks for reading!


	4. Hidden Truths

**Chapter Three  
Hidden Truths**

Jackson waited outside of the apartment building, pacing around the sidewalk as the doorman eyed him suspiciously. Just as he was staring down the street, wondering if they'd ever leave he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Hey stranger," she said.

He turned and saw Audree standing just outside the door of the apartment building. She was clad in a black dress that fell to her knees, black heels, and a diamond-shaped amethyst on a chain around her neck. She was smiling at him brightly and her eyes were outlined in a dark purple, making her bright eyes shine even more.

He laughed and walked up to her, "You look great."

She smiled, "You don't look so bad yourself," she hit his shoulder playfully. "Where are we going?"

"A nice little Italian restaurant called Bel Giardino," he replied.

"Sounds great," they linked arms and began walking down the sidewalk toward Jackson's car.

"Have a good night Miss Thomas," the doorman called.

"Thanks Gary, see you later!" she called over her shoulder, waving at him with a pearly smile.

For some reason Jackson didn't like the doorman. He always seemed to look _through_ Jackson's icy eyes, as if he knew his secret and wasn't going to turn him in, he'd just wait for him to get caught.

Jackson shook it off, he was going to enjoy his night off.

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Lisa sat in Nathan's car as they drove along the friendly yet busy street.

"So where are we going to eat?" she questioned.

Nathan smiled, his goofy, lopsided smile, "Where do you think we're going?" he asked jokingly.

She laughed, "Right, stupid question."

Minutes later, they pulled up across the street from the restaurant, Nathan stopped the car but he didn't get out.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked, looking at him.

Nathan looked up, his dirty-blonde hair fell into his eyes slightly and he sighed.

"What is it?" she pressed.

He looked at her, "I'm worried about you Lisa."

She knotted her eyebrows, "Me? Why are you worried about me?"

"It's just that ever since I met you you've been a workaholic-"

"I've always been a workaholic," she reminded him.

He nodded, "I know, but when I found out about what happened with that creep on the plane," he paused. "I don't know, I thought you might be using work as a distraction, as a way to forget about that incident."

Lisa grew offensive, "I've always worked a lot."

"Lisa, I think maybe you should talk to someone-"

"You mean like go to a shrink?" she yelped. "I don't need to! I'm fine!"

Nathan thought about his words carefully, "Leese, you won't talk to anyone about the things that bother you, the big things. This guys is out there somewhere and I wouldn't blame you if you were a little worried about it or paranoid or something and you wanted to talk to someone you felt you could fully trust," she tried to cut him off but he continued talking. "If you can't talk to me about it at least try to talk to a professional?"

Lisa stared at him.

"I'm only thinking of you Lisa, you know I love you," he said.

She sighed, "I'll think about it okay?"

He smiled, "Thank you, that's all I ask," he kissed her softly. "Now let's go celebrate this birthday the right way!"

And they got out of the car, crossing the street as the traffic wore on.  
  
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Jackson parked down the street from the restaurant, he thought it would be nice if they could walk down the busy street a little bit and then go in to eat.

But as they walked down the sidewalk, holding hands and taking in the atmosphere, Jackson thought about his plan to get rid of Lisa. He knew it was her birthday, he had known it for a week or so and now as he walked in the cool night air, he wondered what she was doing.

His plan of action, what he had to do to get to Lisa, he knew by heart. He replayed the scene over and over in his head, thinking of every mistake that could be made, every slip-up that could occur, he wouldn't let anything go wrong. Not like last time. He played the scenario over in his head every minute of every day, when he fell asleep, when he woke up, when he was following her, and even when he tried not to think about it.

Jackson knew that she couldn't know he was in Miami. No one could know Jackson Rippner was in Florida, he would be caught and chased like a dog.

"Is this the place?" Audree asked, stopping in front of a restaurant.

Jackson looked up, it was the restaurant he had wanted to go to. The sign above the door was red and gold and it read: Bel Giardino.

"Yeah this is it."

But before they walked inside Jackson looked into the front window. Sitting across from, who he knew was, her boyfriend was Lisa Reisert. Jackson knew they couldn't go in there with Lisa sitting in the same small restaurant; his face was too fresh in her memory, already imprinted from countless nightmares. No, he couldn't ruin things now.

"Hello? Earth to Guy!" Audree said, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "Paging Guy Brandon!"

He kept staring at Lisa, terrified that she would recognize him and begin to scream bloody-murder.

"Is there someone in there?" she looked into the window, squinting to see if anything out of the ordinary was happening.

He quickly came to his senses.

"Guy what is it?" she asked, looking back at him.

He shook his head, "Nothing."

She looked unconvinced.

"I just think the night would be better spent if we grabbed some food and went back to your place."

"My place," she repeated. "Guy why can't we ever go to _your place_?" she demanded.

He paused, taking her hand and guiding her back to the car before he was recognized.

"Audree, you know how my job is. I wish I could tell you more but I can't."

She stopped walking on the sidewalk in front of a neighborhood house, "Guy, when will I know about this mystery job. When will you stop keeping secrets from me?" she sounded truly hurt as she said this.

Jackson placed his hand on her cheek, looking her in the eyes.

"I'm trying, I really am," he whispered. "Things are complicated and I _really_ hate keeping things from you, it kills me, but I have to do it."

"Really?" she asked.

He nodded, "Really."

And it did... But it would kill him even more if she knew the truth.

**Author's Note:** There's chapter three! Hope you like it! Next chapter's coming soon! Thanks for reading! And don't worry, the plot will thicken soon, haha.


	5. New Acquaintances

Chapter Four  
New Acquaintances

_She walked into the elevator and stood at the far wall, waiting for the doors to close. Just before they did he slipped through them and stood, staring at her._

The elevator began to go down.

"Hey Leese," Jackson sneered, pinning her to the wall of the elevator before she could get away.

She tried to scream but the sound died in her throat.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped and the lights flickered.

Jackson pretended to be surprised, "Uh oh, look what happened."

Lisa shook her head, "No, you're stupid for coming back, the police- they'll find you, they'll have you behind bars this time."

"That's okay Leese, because I'll have finished what I wanted to do all along,"

She shook her head again, still trying to get away.

"Don't fight me pretty girl," he whispered, touching a strand of her hair. "I let you win once Leese," he pulled a knife from behind him and it glinted in the flickering light. "I'm not going to let it happen again."

The last thing she could see were his brilliant eyes that looked as if they could belong to a blind man, cold and unseeing. Everything else melted into blackness as he plunged a knife into her.

But she didn't feel the pain of the blade, only the emotional drain of struggling against him as his unblinking eyes continued staring.

Lisa woke up suddenly. She didn't sit up in her dark room, she pulled the blanket more tightly around her. She didn't dare get out of bed, for fear Jackson would be under the bed, waiting to pull her ankle and send her sprawling across the floor. She reached for the remote control on her night stand and turned the television on.

It was so early in the morning that the only thing on air was commercials of expensive cleaning products and sixty year old cartoons. She settled for the cartoons as she tried to sink even deeper into the mattress. Her field hockey stick was beside bed, propped against the wall and she snatched it up so she could hold it against her for reassurance.

She felt shaken and paranoid laying in the dark, she didn't want to wake her dad but she didn't want to be alone. So she grabbed her phone off the night stand and dialed in Nathan's number, he answered after several rings and he sounded groggy and out of focus.

"Hello? Nathan?" Lisa said softly.

"Lisa? What time is it?"

She checked the clock beside her bed, "Four, twenty eight."

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice evening out more.

"Yeah-No-Well, not really."

"Lisa."

She let out a shaky breath, "It's just, I had a nightmare-"

"About that guy?"

She swallowed, "Yeah, I'm sorry for bothering you so early in the morning, it's just that it really freaked me out and-"

"Lisa, have you thought about what I said earlier?" he questioned.

She paused, she had, and she didn't agree with him anymore.

"I did."

"If you're having nightmares about this guy that are getting you this wound up maybe you should talk to someone."

"Nath-"

"Have you ever spoken to anyone about what happened that day? Not the basics of what happened but in-depth, thought-provoking stuff?"

She sighed, "No, but I just don't want to go to a shrink, I honestly don't believe it will help."

"Will you talk to me about it?"

She thought for a minute, "Someday soon, it's just too fresh to relive at the moment."

There was silence, "I understand."

"Can I ask you for something completely selfish?"

He laughed, "Of course."

"Can you stay on the phone with me until I fall asleep again?"

There was no hesitation, "Of course."

"Thank you."

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"Thanks for coming with breakfast," Audree told Jackson. "I'm getting kind of nervous about this interview."

Jackson knotted his eyebrows, "What interview?"

Audree appeared in the doorway of her bedroom that stood right next to the kitchen, "I told you, the job interview!"

"Oh! Right," he nodded. "I'm sure you'll do great."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, and walked up to him where he was sitting at the kitchen table. He stood up and smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You have such amazing eyes," she said to him.

(A/N: Don't we all know this?)

He laughed, kissing her softly, "I should go, I have to get to work."

Her face fell slightly and she grew unnoticeably tense, "Oh."

"We'll go to lunch together, okay?" he offered.

She sighed and nodded, "Okay."

"I'll call you," he said, giving her another quick kiss and picking up his jacket and cell phone. "I love you."

"Love you too," she replied with a half-smile as he left the apartment.

She walked back to her bedroom, feeling slightly defeated and upset.

She muttered to herself, "Oh Guy when will you tell me the truth?"

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"Cynthia, I think I'm going insane."

"No, not yet, you can't go insane yet, we have one more person to be interviewed for the slot," she replied, looking over a clipboard of names.

Lise rested her head against her folded arms on the front desk, feeling like she was at the end of her rope.

"All the people on that list have been either too friendly for their own good, completely unfriendly, they fake their chipperness, or their criminal record doesn't allow them to come in a fifteen foot distance of any human being without them wearing the proper restraints," Lisa prattled on. "We might just have to leave the front desk empty," she joked.

Cynthia laughed, "Don't worry, I'm sure this next one will be perfect!"

Lisa laughed tiredly, "I hope so."

Then, out of all the people walking in out of the hotel, a woman came up to them. She had brilliant violet eyes and smooth, golden hair.

"Erm, excuse me, I'm looking for Lisa Reisert," the woman said.

Lisa stood up straight and fixed her hair, "I'm Lisa Reisert, how may I help you?"

The woman smiled, extending her hand for Lisa to take, "I'm Audree Thomas, I'm here for the front desk position."

**Author's Note:** Will Audree get the job? Will Jackson carry out his plan to finish Lisa off and will he keep his secret hidden from his girlfriend? Will Lisa figure it out? And will Cynthia's name get any more annoying to spell? Haha... you'll find out soon! Chapter five is coming up!


	6. When It Gets Personal

Chapter Five  
When It Gets Personal

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update!**  
**  
Jackson sat at his computer, trying to harbor as much information that was humanly possible. He already knew enough facts about Lisa, her friends, and her family, to last him a lifetime, but he felt like he should know more. He had people following her boyfriend, her parents, her best friend, but Jackson felt it was his obligation to follow Lisa herself.

He knew her appointments, he knew her schedule, he knew birthdays and anniversaries, and he knew her plans. Every single thing he needed to know, anything that could get in the way, he knew about, and he was prepared to take any action to make sure everything went smoothly. Now, it was just a matter of putting the plan into action, and that day was drawing dangerously close.

He sat at a desk, in the office of his apartment. The door was open so he could walk in and out of the office and into the kitchen at any time he wanted. Candid pictures of Lisa were pinned on a bulletin board behind the computer, along with photos of people related to her. There were maps on the board as well, floor plans of her house and other important pieces of information. This garish display of obsession in any form wasn't showed to many people, considering he never had anyone over, so he was free to tack as many pictures, papers, or objects to the wall as he pleased.

Just as he was considering whether or not he should check in with one of his associates to see if anything new had come up his front door burst open. You could get a clear view of the office from the front door and he leapt to his feet.

"I got the job!"

It was Audree, how she had gotten his address, he didn't know.

"Do you believe it! I got the job!"

Jackson was at the office doorway, smiling nervously, "That's great," he closed the door before she could see the inside of it. "Um... How did you get my address?"

She laughed, rolling her eyes, "The phone book... I don't see why you had to keep it a secret from me if it's in the phone book!"

"Oh," he replies shakily, wondering if she had seen Lisa's pictures.

"What's that room?" she asked, looking at the door he was leaning against.

He jumped, responding, "Oh nothing," her childlike curiosity was beginning to irritate him.

"Is it a secret love den?" she joked, reaching for the handle. "Let me see!"

"No, Audree-" he struggled against her, trying to block her way to the door with his own body.

"Do you have posters of other girls in there?" she laughed. "They'll go straight in the rubbish bin!" she tickled his sides, hoping to get through the door.

"N-No, Audree stop," she didn't and he was growing increasingly angry and anxious. "Audree, Aud- Stop it!" he shouted angrily.

She stopped immediately, her face falling.

He spoke quickly as he noticed the look on her face, "I'm sorry, it's just, it's a junk room, old memories and just a bunch of garbage," he tried to smile. "Come on, you got the job! Let's go to lunch and celebrate!" his happiness was false, in fact he was sick of her at the moment, he couldn't even remember what job she had been trying to get.

"I'm not sure if I want to go to lunch-"

"It'll be fun," Jackson said. "Come on."

_Anything to get her to stop thinking about the damn room_, he thought.

Audree swallowed, "Okay."

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The elevator stopped.

For no reason it stopped and wouldn't move. The lights flickered and turned off all together. Lisa moved to the panel of buttons, breathing hard and trying not to panic. She pressed the emergency button but nothing happened. She backed up into the corner of the elevator, her heart beating rapidly and her mind racing frantically.

She was having a panic attack, she was sure of it.

Her chest felt tight and her hands were shaking. All those nightmares of Jackson cornering her in an alley, room, hallway, elevator, and now this? She felt like she was going to die from sheer terror. His face seemed to loom in the darkness of the space and she could just see his ultra-light eyes glaring at her, ready to kill.  
She slid against the wall, falling to her knees, hand over her mouth, sobbing and shaking endlessly.

Her breathing was ragged and hot tears poured down her face. She needed to get out of the elevator, she need to get away from the thought of him. She needed help.

After what seemed like hours the lights flickered on and the elevator jolted into action. It stopped at the lobby and she got out, her legs weak and her eyes still issuing large tears. Nathan was in the lobby, waiting for her to go to lunch, just a few yards from the elevator. When he saw her face he froze.

She ambled over to him, practically collapsing into his arms, sobbing into his shirt.

"Lee-Leese, what happened?" he asked.

"The elevator broke down," was all she could manage to say.

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They sat in silence, across from each other at an outdoor restaurant in the middle of the day. Jackson picked up and put down the fork endlessly, staring at the shimmering silver as he tapped it against the table. Audree sipped her water, feeling confused and hurt.

"Guy, if you're mad at me-"

"I'm not mad at you," he snapped.

She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry- for whatever I did. But if you're mad at me why would you ask me to lunch?"

"For the last freaking time, I am not mad at you."

She didn't say anything in return.

After several minutes of silence he asked, "So, when do you start work?"

"Tomorrow," she replied, happy to hear him talking more gently towards her.

He nodded, "That's good."

"You should meet my boss! She's so nice and very friendly, you'd love her."

Sure he would.

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Lisa gulped from the water bottle that Nathan had grabbed from the bar in the LUX Atlantic. She was leaving work early, sitting in the passenger's seat of Nathan's car in the middle of the hotel parking lot. He was squatting in front of her as her feet were planted on the pavement, her free hand resting in his.

"Leese, maybe we should go to the hos-"

"NO!" she said quickly. "I'm fine."

"Lisa," he said slowly, resting a warm hand on her upper arm. "You're shaking."

She shook her head and swallowed, letting out a shaky breath, "No, I'm fine, really."

"Let me take you home," he said, and this time she didn't object.

As they drove toward Mr. Reisert's house Lisa remembered she hadn't explained to Nathan why she had panicked while she was in the elevator.

She bit her lip and then said, "I have recurring dreams about him cornering me in alleys and elevators and things like that."

"What?" Nathan asked, slightly taken off guard.

"That's why I was so scared when the elevator broke down, I was afraid the guy from the plane was going to appear out of thin air and kill me... It's so ridiculous I know... But I know he's out there, loose, and out to get me-" she bit her lip again. "Nathan," she whispered. "I get so scared some times."

Nathan pulled the car over and stroked Lisa's cheek, "Oh Leese, you don't have to worry-"

"Yes I do, I screwed up his plans to kill Keefe! I've ratted him out, he'll kill me, he's just planning it all out-"

"Lisa, listen to me," he said sternly. "If he was trying to kill you I think he would have done it by now-"

"No! Nathan you don't understand! He's smart, he plans, and-and pl-plots and he thinks about every detail and mistake that could be made, he's figuring it out first," she sucked in a deep breath. "He's-He's analyzing the mistakes he made last time and he's making sure he doesn't do it again."

Nathan shook his head, "Leese, why would he care that much? He's after Keefe, not you."

Lisa hesitated for a minute and then shook her head, "No," her voice was barely above a whisper. "No, I just-I just have a feeling..."

"What is it?"

She sniffed, "He's not just after Keefe anymore, it's not detached assassinations now Nathan... This time, it's personal."

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's taken me so very long to update! Hope this chapter made up for it, sorry if it's on the short side!


	7. Across a Crowded Room

**Chapter Six  
Across a Crowded Room**

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews, I love 'em! And just to let everyone know before the story goes on any further, this is not a Lisa/Jackson story. I'm sorry to all those of you who were hoping for that pairing, but I never planned on it for this story and although some writers work it out quite amazingly, I don't see it happening in actuality. And yes, Audree is a Mary-Sue, and sorry if she's cliche, but it was sort of necessary for Jackson to have a girlfriend in this story, you'll see that, in the end, and hopefully in this chapter. Hope you like chapter six.

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Jackson was just finally falling asleep when his cell phone rang. Before answering it he checked beside him to ensure that Audree was still asleep and then grabbed the phone off his beside table and stumbled into the living room.

"Hell-Hello?" he hissed in the dark.

"Wednesday, jackass."

Jackson rubbed his eyes, "Excuse me."

He knew who the voice belonged to, he just didn't know what he meant.

"You need to kill this broad by Wednesday."

"But Anthony, that's like two days away."

"Ha ha, yeah shit head, that's the idea," he replied.

Jackson sat on his couch, holding his head in one hand and holding the phone in the other. He knew the day was coming, he just didn't think it would be this soon.

"But why?"

"The Smiths are sick of you shitting around with this girl and they want you to just finish her off so you can focus on the more important target like Keefe, and EVERYONE else on the list!" he paused. "Got it, _buddy_!"

"If she's not dead by Thursday morning, you can say goodbye to your job... And possibly your life, depending on what the Smiths think."

"Dead-Dead," Jackson stammered. "By Th-Thursday?"

"Yeah, shithead."

And the phone clicked off.

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Audree pretended to sleep, listening to Jackson on the phone.

She heard Jackson, asking why and sounding extremely distraught. Then she heard 'Dead by Thursday' and her blood ran cold. _Maybe Guy is a hitman, maybe that's why he doesn't tell me anything about his job_, she thought.

Then she heard him close his phone and come back to bed and when he didn't say anything to her, only sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, she fought back confused tears and tried to go back to sleep.

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"Yes sir - Of course - Have a good day," she hung up the phone and scribbled some notes on a pad of paper with the LUX Atlantic logo along the top.

"Hey are you Audree?"

She looked up and saw a dark-haired man standing before her.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked with a smile.

He smiled brightly, "Oh! I'm Rob, I'm taking over desk now, you're shift just ended," he told her.

"Did it?" she quickly checked her watch and laughed. "So it did," she grabbed her back from under the counter and smiled at him again. "Thanks-"

"Audree."

She looked up to see two familiar faces smiling at her, ready to walk out the front doors of the hotel.

"Cynthia and I were just gonna go to a bar down the street for a few drinks, you wanna come?" Lisa asked.

Audree thought about it. What else could she do after work? It was nearly eleven o'clock at night and Guy had been acting so weird lately she really didn't want to hang out with him. And besides, she hardly had any close female friends, and Lisa and Cynthia were so nice, she might as well hang out with them and get to know them.

"Sure, I'd love to."

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Jackson was in an unusually good mood.

No one was hounding him to get 'the job' done quicker (well at that moment anyway), his obsession with Lisa wasn't bothering him, and Audree had backed off. He decided not to think about the fact that Lisa had to be dead within forty-eight hours, he focused on happier things and forgot about everything else.

He dialed Audree's number and waited happily as it rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Audree, it's Guy."

"Oh hey, sweetie, what's up?"

He smiled, "Nothing, just got home, do you want to go out to dinner?"

Jackson heard woman laughing in the background and knotted his eyebrows, a smile still on his lips, "Actually, I'm with a few friends from work."

"Oh," he replied.

After a few seconds of whispering in the background Audree said, "Why don't you come down here? They really want to meet you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, please come, we can have a few drinks and just hang out," she said.

"All right, sounds good to me," he smiled to himself. "Where are you guys?"

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Lisa was in an unusually good mood.

She was hanging out with Cynthia and the new desk girl, Audree, and she was relaxing for once. Their pointless chatter distracted her from thinking about Jackson and the elevator breaking down. She didn't want to think and she was happy they were talking about celebrity gossip and current events instead.

"No, I no, they're obsessed with these shoes in England though, my Mum sent them over for me," Audree said as Cynthia fawned over her shoes.

"They're gorgeous!"

"So," Lisa cut in. "Who's this Guy we're going to meet?"

Audree smiled, "My boyfriend, Guy Brandon, he's really sweet, you'll love him."

Lisa nodded, taking a sip from her drink, "He sounds great."

"What does he do for a living?" Cynthia chimed in.

Audree cocked her head to the side, "Actually, I'm not sure."

Lisa knitted her eyebrows.

"Well, he's really secretive about it, you know? I think it's like CIA stuff or something," she laughed. "I'm not sure."

"You gotta watch out for those ones," Lisa joked, shaking her finger at her.

Audree laughed, looking toward the door, "Oh! He's here!" she waved at the direction of the door and called him over.

Lisa and Cynthia both looked to catch a glimpse of Guy, but failed miserably.

"Where is he?"

He's right there, he just walked in," she tried to grab his attention. "He hasn't looked over here yet."

Lisa scanned the doorway of the bar and her eyes connected with someone she hadn't expected at all. Her heart stopped completely, and then sped up. She couldn't breathe, he was looking at her, in shock and he was frozen as well. Their eyes drilled holes into each other and she felt as if the walls were closing in on her.

"OH MY GOD!" she finally managed to choke.

"WHAT!" Cynthia and Audree both asked at the same time.

"Oh my god, it's him, it's the guy!"

"Guy? What guy?" Cynthia asked.

Lisa swallowed, "Jackson- Th-The man from the plane! Call the police!" she shouted, looking at Jackson again. He regained his composure and bolted out of the building.

"Leese, are you sure you're not just-"

"He was right there! He was staring right at me!" she yelled, attracting attention now. "Someone call the police, he'll get away!"

"I'm going to call Nathan and you're Dad okay?" Cynthia said, reaching into her bag for her phone. "Sorry we're going to have to cut this short Audree," she said as an afterthought.

Audree waved her hand at her, "It's no problem, it seems I've lost track of Guy anyway," she laughed nervously.

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Jackson ran.

He ran and ran until his feet were pulsating with pain, his heart was beating so much it was like one long stroke, his chest ached and ached and he felt like the skin was tearing right off the bone. Sweat beaded along his eyebrows and upper lip and he coughed, he coughed and he coughed, leaning against a window of a toy store, at least ten blocks away from the bar.

He saw Lisa, she had seen him. He saw her panic and she saw him run. He was dead. She knew he was in Miami and she would tell the police immediately, with his new description intact.

He needed to run, maybe he could go away to New Zealand, no one would know him there.

And then, as the panic ate away at his stomach and brain he knew what he had to do. He had to finish her off. And once he was done he had to run away and change his appearance all over again, starting another life for himself. Everything was happening sooner than he had planned.

**Author's Note:** DUN DUN DUNNNNNN! Chapter seven is comin' soon!


	8. Anxiety Attacks

**Chapter Seven  
Anxiety Attacks**

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Hope you like chapter seven, it's getting close to the end!

"No! Why are we at my house? Nathan! We need to go to the police station! Hello? Were you just listening to me?! He was in the bar he was looking at me!" Lisa shouted at Nathan as he turned the car off, got out and came around to her side, opening the door. "Do you understand that?!"

He looked thoroughly sick, as if he was scared of what was happening.

"Nathan, every minute we sit here he has a chance to get away..." she trailed off. "He's here, he's in Miami... He's stalking me again, he's come back to kill me!" she stood up, attempting to run toward the house.

Nathan grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "Lisa," he whispered. "What's happening to you?"

She shook her head, "I'm not crazy Nathan- I didn't imagine it-"

He took in a deep trembling breath, "Lisa, your memories of this guy are taking over your life, this isn't okay anymore- it never was! You need to see a doctor!"

"I don't need to see anyone except a policeman-"

"I'm worried about you Leese," he said.

And just then Lisa's father pulled into the driveway, he had been at his brother's house, having just eaten dinner with him and his wife and rushed home the second Nathan had called telling him of what had happened. He practically leapt from the car and over to Lisa.

He looked at the couple who were no longer hugging and asked what had happened.

"Dad! Jackson is in Miami, I saw him-"

"Are you sure?" he spoke slowly.

She was enraged, "Of course I'm sure! Why do you all think I'm going crazy?!"

"Lisa," her father began. "You know the doctors said shock could have these effects on people..."

Tears were springing to her eyes, something she tried very hard to avoid, why wouldn't anyone believe her? And more importantly, what if she had imagined it? The thought scared her. What _was_ happening to her?

"Can we please call the police?" she practically whimpered.

Nathan and Mr. Reisert exchanged a glance.

Lisa looked to her father and he nodded, "We'll call the police."

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Jackson was pacing around his apartment, wringing his hands, grabbing fistfuls of hair and tugging at them violently. He was driving himself crazy. Would his plan work now that he had to move the actual day up to tomorrow? Would he be able to go through with it? Would he be caught by the police before he could do anything? Would he be able to hide it all from Audree?

Just as this thought crossed his mind his cell phone rang.

"H-Hello?"

"Guy! Where are you? Did something happen? You weren't at the bar."

Jackson winced, "Sorry, I got caught up with some last minute stuff for work that I forgot about."

"Oh," she replied. "That's all right anyway, something happened with Lisa and they had to leave early."

He stopped short, afraid he was hearing things.

"What did you just say?"

"Lisa, my boss? I don't know what happened but she had to leave, her boyfriend came and got her-"

"Lisa? Your boss?"

Audree laughed, "Yes. My boss, Lisa Reisert- you know at the LUX Atlantic?"

Jackson dropped the phone and it closed, ending the call, "SHIT!"

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Lisa couldn't go to work the next day. Her father agreed that it might be best if she took a day off, so she did.

Although it was nice to be away from the crowds and business of LUX Atlantic, she wished she was there too. She couldn't help but feel like it was foolish to stay home, in the house Jackson Rippner knew was her father's. But her father reassured her over and over, they were safe where they were, the police were searching for Jackson as they spoke and had someone patrolling their neighborhood, for the main purpose of catching the wanted man.

So Lisa lounged around in sweats, trying to watch some t.v. or read a little. Nothing helped. She wanted to be surrounded by millions of people, to talk about business and not think about Jackson Rippner's nearly colorless eyes.

All to no avail.

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He had been up all night. Besides the fact that he was anxious and nerve-wracked, he needed to come up with a new plan to get Lisa. He paced back and forth in his apartment, cell phone in hand.

He dialed the number and waited.

"Hello, LUX Atlantic, this is Audree speaking."

He was shaking as he put on a false voice and said, "Hey Audree."

"Guy, what are you doing calling me at work?" she said, reprimanding him through a laugh.

"Wondering if you wanted to go to lunch."

"Let me ask George-"

"George?" Jackson asked. "Don't you mean Lisa?"

"No, Lisa called out today. Hold on, one second."

Jackson's eyebrows knotted and he began drumming his fingers against his leg. Lisa called out of work? That means he would have to think of something else, something to lure her from her house and into his clutches. He needed to think.

"Hey Guy, I have lunch break in twenty minutes," Audree told him.

Jackson nodded to himself, "Okay, see you then," and he hung up.

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"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" Mr. Reisert asked Lisa, holding his keys and staring at her worriedly.

Lisa forced a laugh, she didn't really want to be left alone, but she didn't want her dad stuck home worrying about her when he could be out playing golf with his friends.

"I'll be fine Dad, I promise," she flashed him a reassuring smile and finally watched him reluctantly pull out of the driveway. But the second she closed the front door an anxiety ripped through her, pulling her chest tight against bone.

She took deep, calming breaths, trying to relax herself. Jackson would not just storm into her house, he wouldn't be able to with so many cops looking around the neighborhood for him. Lisa locked all the doors and windows anyway, setting up the alarm system as well. And although she felt slightly detached to her own self as she walked into the living room, she tried to ignore the sickening feeling rising in the pit of her stomach.

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Jackson had a plan. It wasn't thought out, it could be messed up very easily but he had to do it, he had no other choice.

He walked through the doors of the LUX Atlantic, and strode to the front desk while counting his deep breaths. He saw Audree standing there, scribbling something onto a pad of paper. She was alone so he didn't have to wait for her to finish with any customers. He wondered how he was going to do this.

Audree looked up as he arrived at the front desk, she smiled.

He acted overly excited to see her, going around the desk and planting a dramatically sloppy kiss on her cheek. She laughed, enduring it for a minute before pushing him away, "Okay Romeo, I get it."

Jackson smiled at her, trying to mask all of his odd behavior from the previous week. His stomach lurched, bringing the familiar taste of panic into his mouth. He hated lying to Audree, he hated having her look into his eyes, smiling, without knowing the truth. He hated himself for creating the life he lived in. How had he gotten himself into such a mess?

"Ready to go?" he asked her, surveying the shelf under the front desk. Just as he had hoped, there were two purses, one was Audree's and one was black, with a diamond C hanging from the handles.

Cynthia's purse.

"Yeah, one second," she told him. "I just have to give this to George," she ripped off the paper she had been writing on from the pad and scurried away.

Jackson took in a deep breath, waiting until Audree was completely out of sight, thankful she was walk away. Then he knelt down, grabbed Cynthia's purse and went through it, finding her phone quickly, slipping it into his pocket.

He stood up fast and simply left, he didn't need to wait for Audree, he didn't really need to go to lunch with her, he didn't need to fix the hole he had already made in their relationship until after he killed Lisa Reisert. When else would he be able to worry about such things? And maybe he'd even be able to convince Audree to move back to England and he could come with her. He just knew he needed to prevent himself from going to jail, and he could only do that one way.  
**  
Author's Note:** I know it's kinda choppy in some parts and it took me a very long time to update but I hope you liked it anyway! Next chapter coming soon!


	9. Meeting Face to Face

Chapter Eight  
Meeting Face to Face

Author's Note: I know it's been over two months since I've updated and I'm sooooooo sorry to those of you who are still reading this. I've been so busy with midterms and research papers and everything about school and I'm so lazy with everything else. We're nearing the end of this story so I'll try to get the chapters out sooner. Hope you like it!

Lisa was starting to feel worse as she watched the television set. She went from watching the news to watching cartoons. Nothing seemed to soothe her anxiety.

And then she got a text message.

From: Cynthia  
Message: LISA - Emergency, need 2 get 2 wrk but, stuck friend's apartment. Have no money 4 cab. Can u pick me up? Sry 2 bother u!!!!

So she replied.

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From: Lisa R.  
Message: Yeah, I can pick u up. Address?

So Jackson put in his address and waited for Lisa to respond. When she did she said she'd be there in under ten minutes and Jackson smiled.

It would happen, it would finally happen. Lisa Reisert would be out of the picture and he would be able to move on with his life. The police would stop tracking him, he wouldn't have to move out of Miami and he could move on with his life with Audree.

Then a thought struck him and he panicked.

Killing Lisa would just confirm that he was in Miami and the police would just be on his tail more. Instead of just being an attempted murderer in their eyes, he'd be a murderer. He would have to get rid of the body more efficiently, he would have to leave Florida. He would have to leave the country. Maybe he could go to Ireland or Antarctica. They wouldn't find him there.

Just then another text message came.

From: Lisa R.  
Message: Hey, I'm here.

Jackson punched in a message and began to shake.

From: Cynthia  
Message: Ok just come up 4 a minute, apartment 4B.

From: Lisa R.  
Message: Okay.

Jackson buzzed her up and within a minute there was a knock at the door.

"Show time," he muttered to himself.

He opened the door, standing behind so she wouldn't see him.

Lisa walked in cautiously and looked around, "Hello?"

He didn't close the door, he stared at her. It had been so long since he had been this close to her and he etched everything about her into his memory.

Her auburn hair was pulled into a ponytail, her wide eyes searching the room for a familiar face. She was wearing jeans and a light blue button up shirt. Jackson could see her breathing heavily, cleared afraid something was wrong or out of place in some way. Her lip trembled a little as she felt herself panicking.

"C-Cynthia?" she called, she was halfway into the apartment right now. But when no one answered her call she started backing up, heading for the door again.

That was when Jackson finally closed the door with a slam.

Lisa jumped around and saw him, she froze completely. Every nerve in her body was electrified and she stopped breathing. Every nightmare and horrible daydream imagined came real before her, and she knew she wasn't going crazy.

She couldn't scream though, she tried, but it got caught her throat, so her mouth just hung open.

"Hello Lisa," Jackson said. "Long time no see."

"H-H-o-o-w?"

He smirked at her, walking towards her frozen body.

"You've been so difficult Lisa, it's time to just give up," he said, coming inches from her face.

Her breathing was ragged now, and she looked around the apartment for help. There was nothing though.

She found her strength and screamed, running around Jackson toward the front door. But he was too fast, he covered her mouth with his hand and slammed her against the door.

"Stop it Lisa," he growled into her ear. "I'm sick of this."

She struggled frantically against him, tempted for a minute to just give up. But she thought of her dad and Nathan and she pushed all her weight into getting him off of her. She stomped on his foot with her high heeled boot and when he let go of her she wrenched at the door. When it wouldn't open she ran farther into the apartment, trying to find a room she could lock herself in to call 911.

She pulled open the nearest door and hurried into the room, locking the door behind her. Before she pulled out her phone she turned around to catch her breath and look around the room she was standing in.

There was a computer on a desk with papers scattered around it. There was a book shelf at the other side of the room and a small couch near the door with a garbage can next to it.

But what sent Lisa's heart racing was the bulletin board behind the computer. On it were pictures of her, different pictures of her coming out of her house, going into work, shopping, hanging out with Nathan, a restaurant with her parents. There was maps of her house and the LUX Atlantic, schedules of some sorts, and little pieces of information about her.

The sick object of obsession made her collapse to her knees, making her shake all over. Jackson began banging at the door, trying to get in, cursing, talking furiously.

_What am I dealing with?_ Lisa asked herself, beginning to feel completely hopeless.


	10. Faces Revealed

Chapter Nine  
Faces Revealed

Author's Note: If anyone is still reading this, thank you for being so patient between updates!

Lisa sat against the door silently for several minutes, staring at the collage her stalker had made. It was sickening, like carnage after a massacre. It made her stomach knot and her heart beat irrergularly. She swallowed back the bile rising in her throat and listened to Jackson breathing on the other side of the door. Like a car accident you just can't look away from, no matter how bad the scene, she stared at the bulletin board.

She wanted to move, to call 911 from the phone that was still in her clammy hand, but she found herself at an inability to move. Maybe it was shock, or pure fear, but she was having trouble breathing and she felt hollow.

"Come on, Leese," Jackson taunted her. "Open the door."

Tears blurred her vision and she blinked them away, Lisa had never been weak. She would fight him, she would win the battle against Jackson Rippner.

Jackson continued mocking her, "Are you gonna call the cops Leese? Because you know I'll just get away from them again later, and I'll find you."

She sobbed silently, covering her mouth.

"Like a dog Lisa, I'll hunt you down like a dog," he laughed. "Is that what you want pretty girl? Do you really want to live that way? Just give up now."

She shook her head to herself, she dialed 911 and waited. When a man on the other line answered she didn't say anything.

"Hello, is anyone there?"

Finally, she spoke, "I'm locked in a room, there's a man, he's been stalking me, he's trying to kill me."

"Damnit Lisa!" he yelled upon hearing her words and he worked at breaking down the door. She crawled away from it and to the opposite wall.

The man on the phone spoke again, "Miss you're currently calling from cellular phone, could you quickly tell me your location."

Lisa panicked, she couldn't remember Jackson's address. She shakily searched through her text messages, and finally found it. But Jackson bursted into the room and grabbed her phone. He hung up and threw it against the wall, where it fell to the floor, the light flickered off of the screen.

"Stop screwing with me Lisa," he said, taking out a gun from under his jacket.

She didn't say anything in response and they sat there in silence for several minutes, staring at each other, with a gun held to her neck.

Jackson swallowed, and Lisa noticed he was shaking just as much as she was. Beads of sweat were gathering above his lip and his breathing was erratic.

Before either of them could say or do anything Jackson's front door burst open.

"What the hell Guy, you come to work to take me to lunch and then you disa-" Audree cut herself off as she came to stand in the doorway.

Her eyes widened as she saw Jackson there, holding a gun to Lisa's throat on the floor.

"W-What?" she trailed off as she began backing up to the front door.

In pure desperation Jackson turned the gun on her and she stopped.

"Get in," he growled.

She did as she was told and walked shakily into the room, standing beside where Lisa was on the floor. Jackson got up, walking backwards, holding the gun to both of them, he went and closed the front door, locking it behind him. He then walked back to them and stared down at them, shaking fervently.

Lisa was baffled. Why was Audree here? And why was she calling Jackson Guy? Lisa looked up to Audree who was standing there with more composure than even Jackson had. Jackson seemed to be growing more and more nervous by the minute.

"Guy..." Audree whispered. "What are you doing?"

"MY NAME IS NOT GUY!" he yelled. "It's Jackson Rippner, wanted for attempted murder of Lisa Reisert," he finally confessed to her.

Audree looked a little surprised, but she nodded, "I always knew there was another reason you wouldn't let me come over here."

Jackson didn't say anything.

After some silence she asked, "So, did you date me only to get to Lisa?" Her voice was dripping with malice and bitterness.

His guard fell then, "No, Audree you have to believe me about that," he said. "I met you before I knew you worked for Lisa. I love you," he lowered the gun.

Audree shook her head, "Why should I believe you Gu- Jackson? You've been lying to me."

As Lisa watched the exchange she began to regain her strength and sense. She thought frantically of what she could do. As she listened to Audree and Jackson talking she realized something. Audree was pretending she was hurt by this and was pretending to be calm, when she was really pissed and on the edge. Lisa noticed she was using the same voice she used when dealing with annoying customers. She was buying Lisa time so she could think of something for them to work to get saved.

"Audree I love you," he moved toward her but she took a step back.

"Please," she whimpered. "Don't touch me. I don't even know who you are."

He shook his head regretfully, "No Audree please-"

He was cut off by Lisa lunging up and kicking the gun out of his hand. He grabbed his hand as it began to bleed a little from being struck with the heel of her boot. Audree pushed Jackson onto the couch behind him and pinned him to it as Lisa stood up and ran for the gun.

Jackson easily pushed Audree off of him and knocked her to the ground, growing furious at her false sadness. He ran over to Lisa who hadn't quite grabbed the gun yet and kicked it away from her.

He then leaned down and quickly reached for it but she pulled his short hair and made him grab for her hands and have her release him.

Then Audree stepped in again and pulled Jackson's hands down and around his back uncomfortably. They both had to hold onto him, for fear if one let go to grab the gun he would push the other away and fight more furiously.

So Lisa held his hair and Audree pinned his hands to his back.

"Do you want to apologize _Guy_?" Audree asked.

"Bitch," he muttered.

Audree rolled her eyes to Lisa who was amazed at her calm.

Finally they maneuvered Jackson so they were close enough for Lisa to reach down and grab the gun. When she had it in her hand she pointed it at Jackson and Audree let go of him slowly. He put his hands up and stood there, out of breath, staring at both of them in pure shock.

"I never knew the love of my life and my enemy would make such a great team against me," he said through thick breath.

"It's funny how that works," Lisa managed to say, though her heart was pounding furiously.

Audree took a deep, shaky breath, "I should call the police," she said.

"I do love you Audree," Jackson said, a little defeatedly. "You don't understand how I felt-"

She laughed, "Save it, we're way past apologies. I think when you pointed the gun at me, that's when I knew," she shook her head. "If you really loved me you would have told me the truth and trusted me to make my decision with it, right Guy?"

He shook his head, looking almost as if he was going to cry.

"This is the second time you've tried to kill me Jackson, and the second time you've failed... I think it's time that _you_ gave up," Lisa said, still holding the gleaming gun in her hands.

He took a deep breath through his nose and let out a tiny, silent sob.

And that's when the loud voices and stomping resounded from the hall.

A loud, rhythmic knock came from the door, "Miami police, open up!"  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Here," Nathan said, wrapping Lisa in a wool blanket outside of the apartment building. "You're shaking."

She smiled gratefully at him.

"Lisa, honey, I'm sorry we didn't listen to you-" her father began.

"Dad," she shook her head, "don't worry."

She saw a policeman walk away from Audree, who was no standing alone.

"I'll be right back," she said to her father and her boyfriend.

When Audree saw her she smiled, "We made it through, amazingly enough."

Lisa smiled, "I wish I had known your Guy was a Jackson, I would have warned you."

Audree shook her head, "No, even if I had been prepared for that I would have been shocked. When you think you know someone and they turn out to be... Well, it's a surprise to say the least."

Lisa nodded, "I'm just sorry you to had to go through it."

Just then, Jackson walked past them, held by two cops, handcuffed at his wrists and ankles, and followed by extra policeman ahead of him and behind him.

He looked at Audree and smiled sadly at her, "I really do love you."

She didn't say anything in response.

He then looked at Lisa and said, "I'll be seeing you."

With the blue and red lights swirling around from the cop cars and the noise of blocked off traffic nearby, Lisa's head ached. And as the words issued through her ears she frowned, almost believing Jackson would be back again. He stared deep into her, those milky-blue eyes seering through her very soul until it almost burned cold. Chills ran down her spine and she shivered, even if Jackson went to prison for the rest of his life and hers, she knew she'd be seeing him, in her nightmares and in her fears. But maybe, with a little help she'd learn to ignore him.

And that was the resolution she made as Jackson was taken away for good.

**Author's Note:** The End! Hope you liked it! It's been a fun story and I hope the end wasn't too disappointing. If it was, I'd be happy to do a rewrite.


End file.
